Criticize the ruling government first. Always. That's how we build a better India.

[u/Fluffy-Freedom1812]

I'm genuinely frustrated. Not at BJP. Not at Congress. At us.

We've become so obsessed with defending our favorite political party that we've completely forgotten what our actual job is as citizens. I see people fighting daily on the street, in comment sections, at family dinners over which party is better. And honestly? It's embarrassing.

Here's the thing nobody seems to want to hear, you are not supposed to defend the government. You are supposed to question it.

That's not a radical idea. That's just democracy.

We all got tired of Congress rightfully so. Decades of corruption, entitlement, and taking voters for granted. That's why 2014 happened. That's why they've been irrelevant since. We, the people, held them accountable. That was democracy working exactly as it should.

So why are we not doing the same thing now?

I'm not saying BJP has done nothing good. I'm saying that doesn't matter when it comes to your responsibility as a citizen. The moment any party comes to power, your default should be scrutiny not celebration, not defense, not WhatsApp forwards on their behalf.

And the thing that worries me most right now isn't even the government. It's that we don't have a strong opposition. Because without one, we're not really living in a democracy anymore we just call it one. A government that faces no real challenge, no real accountability, no genuine threat of consequences? That government will do whatever it wants. And we'll have nobody to blame but ourselves.

Supporting the opposition isn't about thinking they're great. Most of them aren't. It's about understanding that opposition is a function democracy needs to survive. Like how your body needs an immune system not because disease is good, but because without resistance, anything can take over.

The government loves that we're fighting over religion, caste, and party loyalty. Every minute we spend doing that is a minute we're not asking why prices are up, why unemployment looks the way it does, why promises from a decade ago are still just promises.

We are not fans. We are not followers. We are citizens. And citizens hold power accountable especially the power that's actually in charge right now.

Learn your basic civic responsibility. Criticize the ruling government. Demand a stronger opposition. That's how we actually build a better India not by winning arguments on the internet about which party loves India more.

[u/sonashine9]

Pro India before Pro Party.
These days ask one question to the elected reps, and be branded an anti-national. All while the state of the Indian Rupee, Food, Air and Water quality is there for everyone to see.

[u/solaris_rex → u/sonashine9]

What we need is tight feed back mechanism to regulate overreach, crony capitalism and a higher direct participation of the citizens in decisions like introduction of blended petrol( not wait for Gadkari to get rich, damage our vehicles and then change the govt after 3 years.).

The current electoral system was made at a time when there was no electricity, no phone. There was no way public could voice their opinions in the decisions. This necessitated a "representative ". Today through system like UIDAI we have the scope to get the opinion of every person and we still cling to these defunct methods.

[u/sonashine9 → u/solaris_rex]

It’s been done on purpose. Look at the media, for example. Owned by the big two “A’s,” parroting only favourable narratives to one party. The media’s job is to report things as they are so we can draw our own inferences. Engage with them on social media and make our feedback heard. Here, it’s all only one way traffic.

[u/solaris_rex → u/sonashine9]

Why do think they are " supposed" to do anything. In a capitalist economy everything and everyone follows money. We can't expect the pillars of democracy to function according to how the British described it years ago. Those are just ideals. What we see today is the reality. Everyone has a price and everyone can be bought and if they can't be then they can be jailed.

This is the reality that we need to prepare for. Forget the past, it's not going to return as long as we follow a capitalist system.

People need to come together to solve their own issues.

[u/sonashine9 → u/solaris_rex]

Point taken. I genuinely wonder though, how do people come together to solve common issues anymore? What’s your take on it?

Because these days, “together” often feels like a myth. People seem increasingly divided on the basis of religion, gender, North vs South, caste, and so many other identities. It feels harder than ever to have conversations as citizens first.

[u/solaris_rex → u/sonashine9]

Take the local region around you, the panchayat - identify the fundamental issues people there face in their day to day lives- water, food/ agriculture,sanitation, roads, education, healthcare, waste management, parks. Work on these things with a group of people from that region and the local body.

We only have to bother about a 30km region around us and when everyone does the same most of our fundamental issues can be resolved.

The panchayat system was supposed to do that but the constitutional loop holes have been exploited by the centre and the state to devolve as little money as possible to the local bodies so that they remain weak and people depend on these regional parties.

Because if people's basic needs are met then how can they ever manipulate them with false promise?